Infolific » Container Gardening

A Host of Materials and Textures

Melissa Klutts — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:23:41 +0000

Great plants deserve fine containers and there are many beautiful options. Each material has good points and bad, so discover how to find the best partner for your precious blooms. Choosing a pot no longer means deciding whether or not you can afford terracotta rather than plastic. Containers are now [...]

Fruit Tree Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:56:26 +0000

Who doesn't relish an apple off the tree? It is surprisingly easy to grow a fruit tree in a pot. Plant one and savor blossom in spring, fruit in autumn and frosted winter branches. Fruit trees make great specimen plants for the patio. They look equally good on their own, [...]

Succulent Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:07:04 +0000

Alpines and succulents actually grow best in poor soil. Pots are the perfect way to provide these typical rockery plants with conditions to suit, and will help to draw attention to their often tiny features. Under normal garden conditions, where the soil has been improved and fed over the years, [...]

Using Tall and Deep Containers for Gardening

Melissa Klutts — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:55:33 +0000

Tall or deep pots provide color and shape at a good height above the ground. A tall container, or a smaller one raised on a pedestal, offers the ideal fall for trailing foliage plants such as periwinkles, particularly Vinca minor 'Variegata' and 'Gertrude Jekyll', which has double white flowers. Other [...]

Picking the Right Garden Container Shape

Melissa Klutts — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:30:22 +0000

Looks matter when you choose a pot, but you also have to consider where it will go and what you want to plant in it. Here are shapes for every purpose. A front door might call for a hanging basket to provide color and fragrance at eye level, while a [...]

Roof-Top Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:41:36 +0000

Apartment-dwellers who long for a plot to tend or gardeners with a wish for a secluded retreat can add a new dimension to their living space by using their roof. Create a garden with a view, high above the city streets. Even the smallest area of an apartment roof can [...]

Winter Container Garden with Pansies

Melissa Klutts — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 03:57:48 +0000

Simple and sweet, with their vibrant colors and upturned faces, pansies brighten even the dreariest winter days. Despite their small size, they are endlessly versatile. Pots of winter pansies will flower from autumn right through winter and produce a second burst of flowers in March. They thrive in the warmth [...]

Tomato Container Garden

Melissa Klutts — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:34:56 +0000

Nothing compares with the taste of freshly picked vegetables -- and you do not need a lot of expertise to grow them. Beans and peas, tomatoes and salad vegetables are quite easy to raise in pots. Place them near the kitchen door for easy access. Tomatoes are one of the [...]

Rose Container Garden

Melissa Klutts — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:13:48 +0000

You do not need a garden to grow roses -- smaller varieties flourish in containers so you can enjoy their colors and perfume anywhere you fancy. You can grow any rose in a container since just confining its roots will have a dwarfing effect, but for the best effect, especially [...]

Grouping Container Plants in the Garden

Melissa Klutts — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:28:44 +0000

While a single container can create a focal point, several pots grouped close together can completely transform a bare patio or balcony. Make the most of the flexibility of containers to achieve the effect you want. That makes container gardening so very versatile is that you can grow several plants [...]

Creative Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:43:32 +0000

Punctuate your garden with pots, using color and positioning to create accents and to add interest and structure to the overall design. Or add impact to a container collection with a single bold splash of a contrasting color. You can use accents most effectively to add a bright sparkle to [...]

Strawberry Container Garden

Melissa Klutts — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:43:32 +0000

Fruit grows very well in containers, so if you yearn for the taste of a just-picked strawberry or blackcurrant, here is how to grow your own. Strawberries can be grown in all manner or containers. To enjoy fresh berries over the longest period, either grow perpetual fruiting varieties, which allow [...]

Water Container Garden

Melissa Klutts — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:39:15 +0000

Running water adds a magical touch to any garden. Containers can be used to incorporate water features in the most unlikely places -- from a paved patio to a sunny roof terrace. Installing a Pebble Fountain Most garden centers now sell pebble or bubble fountain kits, consisting of a plastic [...]

Informal Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:04:11 +0000

Whether you live in the town or country, you can create an exuberant and relaxed style of container gardening that gives an atmosphere of unrestrained nature. The effect to aim for is one of spontaneity, so that the container looks as if it has been planted haphazardly -- though it [...]

Using Shallow Pots for Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:26:30 +0000

Seed pans, wicker baskets and basins make ideal homes for small plants. Choose these containers for succulents and seaside plants, which won't mind if the shallow compost dries from time to time on hot sunny days. Bowls and low troughs show off the smaller treasures of the garden, such as [...]

Using Colors in Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:53:08 +0000

One pot of plants looks hot and sunny, another cool and restful. The versatility of container gardening means you can introduce any color you please to create exactly the look you desire. Different colors conjure up very different emotions, so decide what mood you want to create before you choose [...]

Improve Your View With a Window Box

Melissa Klutts — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:26:48 +0000

A window box sitting snugly on a sill or fixed to the wall beneath a window, offers the chance to change your outlook with every season and to enhance the facade of your home. Vibrant boxes, alive with color, will transform a simple windowsill into an eye-catching display of flowers [...]

Sea-Side Container Garden

Melissa Klutts — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:26:47 +0000

Climate and conditions at the coast present a challenge to the container gardener. But choose carefully and you will find a host of plants, such as tough hebes, that flourish in exposed sites. The two main problems facing seaside gardeners are the damage that can be done to leaves by [...]

Formal Container Gardens

Melissa Klutts — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:30:56 +0000

In the grand gardens of the country house, containers were used to mark the junction of a path or the ends of a terrace. Often shaped like Grecian urns and planted with clipped trees or trailing foliage, they created a formal look that can still be used to add structure [...]

Herb Container Garden

Melissa Klutts — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:03:02 +0000

If you like to cook with herbs but do not have much space, you can still grow them using pots and window boxes. Their beautiful foliage makes a pleasing alternative to summer flowers and their scented leaves have a sensory impact. The best herbs for containers are those you use [...]